Gang relay switch arrangement



March 14, 1950 A. F. HORLACHER GANG RELAY SWITCH ARRANGEMENT Filed Nov. 26, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 1950 A. F. HORLACHER I 2,500,413

I GANG RELAY SWITCH ARRANGEMENT Filed Nov. 26, 1945 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J6 9 J7 I, 7 1/, 'f/ 37 39 O ""35 "U J5 r-- ajg gDJa V A E E E fnz/enl ar QZZGT'ZF/EGFZCZC/? Patented Mar. 14, 1950 GANG RELAY SWITCH ARRANGEMENT Albert F. Horlacher, Palatine, 111., assignor to C. P. Clare & Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application November 26, 1945, Serial No. 630,807

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to gang relays wherein a single armature bar is utilized to operate a multiplicity of armature springs to or break contact with groups of stationary make or break springs. In devices of this character the fact that there are so many springs makes difficult to obtain accurate alignment and spacing or the springs and contacts carried thereby. In these relays difficulty is also encountered due to vibration of the springs particularly the make or break springs.

It is the principal purpose of my invention to provide a gang relay assembly of such nature that the several make or break springs are correctly spaced and aligned and the armature springs are moved in unison equal amounts for each spring in order that proper contact is assured throughout the assembly.

t is also a purpose of this invention to provide a novel gang relay assembly which facilitates the mounting of the several springs and elimihates the necessity for jigs and the like to establish proper spacing.

A further purpose of the invention is the provision of a novel actuator unit by which the movement of the relay armature is transmitted uniormly to the several armature springs, the actuator units being independent for each vertical bank of springs so that if desired they can be removed and applied without disturbing the mounting of the springs themselves.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a spring assembly for gang relays of the character described wherein vibration of the individual springs is substantially eliminated by connecting the several make or break springs in transverse banks and by inter-connecting the armature springs a direction at right angles to the interconnection of the make or break springs so as to reduce any tendency n the part of the armature springs to vibrate.

nature and advantages of my invention tion and the accompanying drawings wherein a erred form of the invention is shown. It should understood, however, that the drawings description are illustrative only, and are not f r as it limited by the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a gang relay assembly embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the assembly;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1 and illustrating the spring assembly;

Figure 4 is a detailed view of one of the armature springs this view being taken from line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3 and on an enlarged scale, and;

Figure '7 is a side view of the spacer element employed in spacing the armature springs.

Referring now to the drawings, the gang relay is made up with a heel piece I0 which forms the mounting for one or more relay coils I I which are wound upon cores I2 having spool ends I3 and I4 rigidly secured thereto. The heel piece II) has the cores I2 secured thereto by screws 15. In addition the spool heads I3 have Wiring terminal projections I5 that engage the down turned end i! of the heel piece to aid in securing the relay core and coil in place. There are two of the projections it on each head I3 and each projection has a coil terminal I8 projecting therefrom.

The relay armature I9 is mounted on the front end of the heel piece IQ by screws 28 that are threaded into the heel piece at an angle of 45. These screws pass through slots 2I and 22 in the armature. Springs 23 are wound on the screws .20 and press washers 24 against the angle at the corner of the armature so as to force the interior corner of the armature against the edge 25 at the forward end of the heel piece. The heel piece is beveled as indicated at 26 so that the armature can rock on the edge 25. The armature extends down across the end of the core l2 and is provided with a spacing screw 21 by which its stroke can be adjusted. On top of the heel piece In the armature has two side bars 28 and 29 projecting over the heel piece and parallel thereto, the side bars being connected by a cross bar 30 which is adapted to engage a plurality or armature spring actuators 3| which will be described in detail hereinafter.

A mounting plate 32 is fastened on the heel piece It by suitable screws 33. This mounting plate is threaded to receive a series of screws 34 which are utilized to secure the banks of make or break contact springs 35 and armature springs 36. The construction of the banks of make or break springs is such that they provide the means also for mounting the armature springs in place. Each make or break contact spring comprises a wiring terminal portion (see Figure 3) 31, a mounting portion 38 which is provided with 3 spaced apertures to receive the screws 34, an intermediate spring portion 39 and a bifurcated front end portion 40. The portion 40 has two arms 4| and 42 each of which carry a contact 43.

The armature Spring 36 is substantially a duplicate of the make or break contact spring having the wiring terminal 44 the apertured mounting portion 45 and intermediate spring portion 46, and a bifurcated portion 41, the two arms 48 and 49 of which carry contacts 59. The armature springs however, in addition to the parts just described, have tongues 5| between the arms 48 and 49, and these tongues have down turned tips 52 for cooperation with the actuators 3|.

The several make or break contact springs 35 are secured together in banks by molding them in two bars 53 and 54, of a suitable molding compound such as the synthetic resin sold under the name Bakelite. The bar 53 covers the apertured portion 38 of the spring 35 while the bar 54 is located near the bifurcated portion 56 of the spring 35. The bars 53 are so constructed as to nest by providing sockets at 55 and projections at 56 around the screws 34. The bars are, of course, provided with suitable apertures to receive the screws 34. When a plurality of the bars 53 are stacked one upon the other the projections 58 nest in the recesses 55. The armature springs 35 have their apertures 51 of such size as to fit over the projections 55 so that these projections serve to aline the armature springs and hold them in place when the parts are assembled.

The bars 54 are recessed on their sides as indicated at 58 (see Figure 6) so that the armature springs may have room to move up and down a sufficient amount to permit the contacts 50 thereon to engage and separate from the contacts 43 on the springs 35. The bars 54 since they connect the several springs 35 of a bank prevent individual vibration of any one of the springs 35 and furthermore they aline all of the springs at a point near to the contact ends thereof, thus making it possible to have very accurate control of the alinement of the contacts 43. The bifurcation of the springs 35 provides two spaced apart contact making portions, which is of advantage in making sure that good contact will be obtained at all times. The smaller contacts that can be used in this fashion will always engage on at least one of the arms 4|-d2 with the corresponding contacts of the armature spring even though a small particle of dust might temporarily get caught on one of the contacts.

The armature springs 36 are of course alined at the rear ends and spaced by the bars 53. Near their contact points, these armature springs are connected so as to move together by means of the actuator 3!. The actuator 3| consists of a bar of insulation having a series of spaced apertures 59 through which the tongues 5| can be extended. The apertures are enlarged at 60 to facilitate threading the tongues in the actuator bars. The openings 59 are large enough to permit the actuator to be snapped off of the tongues and replaced very readily. The mode of replacement comprises moving the actuator bar down in front of the tongues until the top opening of the bar will receive the top tongue 5| in a vertical row of the springs. wardly on the lower end of the actuator bar it can be lifted above the level of the bar 30 carried by the armature and shoved inwardly forcing all of the tongues through the bar 3| so that their down turned ends 52 can project downwardly at Then b pressing upwardly and inthe small end of the opening 5|. The spring tension will then keep the bars in place while the relay is operated.

It is believed that the construction and assembly of the gang relay embodying my invention will be clear from the foregoing description. It will be noted that by means of this construction the make or break contact springs are uniformly lined so that when stacked one upon the other by means of the bars 53 they may be clamped in place by the screws 34 so as to retain substantially uniform spacing throughout several levels. The bars 54 insure alinement of the several springs of a bank and furthermore prevent individual spring vibration which is harmful. In assembling the parts the armature springs 36 are readily alined by means of the projections 56 on the bars 53, and when the actuator bars 3| are applied the front or contact carrying ends of the armature springs are properly spaced. The bars 3| are of such length that when the rest upon the cross bar 35 the armature springs are slightly tensioned so that all of the tongues 5| press downwardly against the lower walls of the apertures 59. This construction tends to eliminate any armature spring vibration, the result being a gang relay assembly wherein the contacts are accurately spaced, and individual armature spring and make or break spring vibration is practically eliminated.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. In a switch of the character described, a spring assembly comprising rows of stationary springs having free end portions provided with contacts, and rows of movable springs having end portions provided with contacts for engagement with said first named contacts, a mounting bar of insulation carrying each row of stationary springs in spaced relation and in which a portion of each stationary spring, remote from the contacts thereon, is fixed, cooperating projections and recesses on opposite sides or the mounting bars for aligning them, said movable springs having apertures receiving the projections whereby the movable springs may be interposed between and held by two adjacent mounting bars, the free ends of the movable springs being interconnected in rows transverse to the rows of stationary springs by insulating bars and means securing the mounting bars together.

2. In a switch of the character described, a spring assembly comprising rows of stationary springs having free end portions provided with contacts, and rows of movable springs having end portions provided with contacts for engagement with said first named contacts, a mounting bar of insulation carrying each row of stationary springs in spaced relation and in which a portion of each stationary spring, remote from the contacts thereon, is fixed, a second bar of insulation interconnecting and securing the several stationary springs of a row together, said second bar being intermediate the first bar and the contacts of said springs, and means securing the mounting bars together, the rows of movable springs being interposed between and secured by the mounting bars in alignment with the stationar springs, the free ends of the movable springs being interconnected in rows transverse to the rows of stationary springs by insulating bars.

3. In switch of the character described, a spring assembly comprising rows of stationary springs having free end portions provided with contacts, and rows of movable springs having end portions provided with contacts for engagement with said first named contacts, a mounting bar of insulation carrying each row of stationary springs in spaced relation, and in which a portion of each stationary spring, remote from the contacts thereon, is fixed, the rows of movable springs being interposed between and secured by the mounting bars in alignment with the stationary springs, the springs having bifurcated contact carrying ends, each bifurcation having a contact thereon, and actuator bars extending between the bifurcations, said bars havingspaced apertures therein, and the movable springs having tongues extending into said apertures.

4. In a switch of the character described, a

spring assembly comprising rows of stationary carrying ends, each bifurcation having a contact thereon, and actuator bars extending between the bifurcations, said bars having spaced apertures therein, and the movable springs having tongues extending through the apertures and bent over to hold the actuator bars in place.

AIBERT F. HORLACHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED ES'Ii JIEES PATENTS Number Name Date 749,814. Downs Jan, 19, 1904 775,145 Meyer Nov. 15, 1904 972,634 North Oct. 11, 1910 1,921,430 Reynolds et a1 Aug. 8, 1933 2,279,811 Baker Apr. 14, 1942 2,282,687 Vigren et a1 May 12, 1942 2,290,453 Stehiik J'uiy 21, 1M2 2,296,431 Estes Sept. 22, 19%2 2,326,954 Morton et a1 Aug. 3, 19 13 2,335,858 Herman Oct. 2, 1945 2,419,136 Vincent Oct. 29, 1946 

